Chapter 250: Flirting With Rose

"Productive."

She laughed.

"You’re awful."

"So I’ve been told."

Then...

Her expression softened slightly.

"Thanks."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"For healing my arm?"

"That too."

She looked toward where Lu Chen was emerging from the opening.

Then back.

"For earlier."

"You didn’t have to say anything."

Shen Tian understood.

"About him shouting?"

Rose nodded.

"Yeah."

Shen Tian shrugged.

"You already handled it."

"I just reminded him."

That answer...

Again.

No claiming credit.

No acting like he’d rescued her.

Rose smiled.

"I like that."

Shen Tian glanced toward her.

"What?"

She realized.

Then...

Didn’t retreat.

"I like that you don’t treat every woman like she needs you to save her."

Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.

"Most of you are terrifying."

Rose laughed.

"Smart answer."

"It’s true."

He looked toward her.

"You were killing monsters before I arrived."

"You don’t need me protecting you from everything."

Rose studied him.

Then smiled.

"No."

"I don’t."

A brief silence.

"But..."

She stepped slightly closer.

"I wouldn’t complain if you kept healing me."

Shen Tian smiled.

"Expensive service."

"How expensive?"

"Very."

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Money?"

"I have money."

"Then what?"

Shen Tian pretended to think.

Rose waited.

Then...

"Coffee."

She stared.

"Coffee?"

"Good coffee."

Rose laughed.

"I think I can afford that."

"Then we have a deal."

She extended her hand.

Shen Tian looked at it.

Then took it.

"Deal."

Rose’s hand remained in his slightly longer than necessary.

She noticed.

So did he.

Neither mentioned it.

Then...

Footsteps.

Lu Chen emerged.

And saw them.

Holding hands.

His expression became completely blank.

Rose immediately released Shen Tian.

Not guiltily.

The deal was done.

But...

Lu Chen had already seen.

His inner voice exploded.

[What the hell?]

Rose heard.

She sighed.

[Coffee?]

Her eyes widened slightly.

He had heard.

[She’s making plans with him now?]

Rose’s face flattened.

Lu Chen approached.

"What was that?"

She looked toward him.

"What was what?"

"You two."

Shen Tian slowly turned.

Rose’s eyes narrowed.

"What about us?"

Lu Chen’s jaw tightened.

"You were holding hands."

"We shook hands."

"For what?"

Rose stared.

Then...

Something in her finally gave up.

She smiled sweetly.

"Coffee."

Lu Chen froze.

"What?"

"I’m buying Shen Tian coffee."

Silence.

Ghost turned around.

Bear stared toward the stars.

Shen Tian bit the inside of his cheek to stop laughing.

Lu Chen’s eyes widened.

"Why?"

Rose stared.

"Because I want to."

Three words.

Simple.

Absolute.

Shen Tian’s green eyes flickered slightly.

Lu Chen became silent.

His inner thoughts raged.

[Because she wants to.]

Rose heard.

[Qingya says the same thing.]

Her expression changed.

[Tang says the same thing.]

[Everyone suddenly does whatever they want.]

Rose almost laughed from disbelief.

Yes.

That was generally how being a person worked.

Then...

[Shen Tian.]

There it was again.

Rose looked toward Shen Tian.

He wasn’t provoking.

Wasn’t even smiling anymore.

He simply stood there.

Lu Chen’s anger belonged entirely to Lu Chen.

And...

For once...

Rose didn’t care.

Lu Chen turned.

"We’re leaving."

Rose nodded.

"Okay."

He froze.

He had expected resistance.

Instead...

She looked toward Shen Tian.

"See you around?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Probably."

Rose returned the smile.

Then walked toward the vehicles.

Lu Chen watched her go.

His eyes narrowed.

He turned toward Shen Tian.

The two men stood alone for several seconds.

Then Lu Chen spoke.

"You enjoy this."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Enjoy what?"

"Taking things from me."

Shen Tian’s smile appeared.

"You’re finally noticing."

Lu Chen’s face darkened.

"You think this makes you superior?"

Shen Tian stared.

Then laughed softly.

"No."

Lu Chen frowned.

Shen Tian stepped closer.

"I don’t think beating you makes me superior."

His green eyes sharpened.

"I beat you because I already am."

Silence.

Lu Chen’s hand tightened.

Shen Tian continued.

"You keep confusing cause and effect."

"You think winning creates superiority."

"No."

He smiled arrogantly.

"Winning is what happens when the superior person shows up."

Lu Chen stared.

No response.

Shen Tian turned.

Then...

Started walking toward his own vehicle.

Lu Chen called after him.

"This isn’t over!"

Shen Tian didn’t stop.

"I know."

Lu Chen’s expression changed.

Shen Tian looked over one shoulder.

"That’s the best part."

Then...

He left.

. . .

Inside the Black Wolf vehicle...

Rose sat in the rear.

Ghost beside her.

Bear across.

Lu Chen drove.

Silence.

Ten minutes.

Twenty.

Then...

Ghost finally spoke.

"So..."

Rose immediately looked toward him.

"No."

"I didn’t ask anything."

"You were going to."

Bear smiled.

"Coffee."

Rose’s eyes narrowed.

"Bear."

He raised both hands.

"Coffee is normal."

"Exactly."

Ghost nodded.

"Very normal."

Rose stared at both.

Then...

They started laughing.

She kicked Bear’s boot.

"Idiots."

Lu Chen’s grip tightened around the steering wheel.

Rose noticed.

But...

Didn’t stop smiling.

Instead...

She looked out the window.

She remembered Shen Tian standing before the throne.

The way he answered.

The way he admitted he could be wrong.

The way he didn’t try forcing loyalty.

The way he healed her only after asking.

The way he defended her boundary without pretending she’d needed rescuing.

Then...

His green eyes.

That arrogant smile.

Rose sighed.

This was moving faster than she liked.

Not love.

Absolutely not.

She wasn’t some sheltered girl falling for the first handsome man she met.

She had lived too much for that.

But...

A crush?

Maybe.

A small one.

An inconvenient one.

One she fully intended to investigate over coffee.

Rose smiled slightly.

Then...

Lu Chen’s thoughts reached her.

[I’ll make her see.]

Her smile disappeared.

No.

That was exactly the problem.

He still thought everyone needed to be made to see.

. . .

Shen Tian’s ride home was much quieter.

Xu Ning floated beside him.

[Host.]

"Hm?"

[Rose likes you.]

Shen Tian looked out the window.

"She’s interested."

[That’s what I said.]

"No."

He glanced toward Xu Ning.

"There’s a difference."

She smiled.

[Look at you.]

"What?"

[Slow burn.]

Shen Tian stared.

"Don’t call it that."

[Why?]

"It sounds ridiculous when you say it."

Xu Ning laughed.

Then...

A system panel appeared.

Western Mountain Opportunity Complete

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